Jenna Wilkins is battling an aggressive form of cancer (Image: Elle Tyson)

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The coronavirus lockdown has stopped a teaching assistant from Essex from getting potentially life-saving cancer treatment.

Jenna Wilkins, 25 from Buckhurst Hill, Essex, had already beat cancer four years ago, but was told earlier this year that it had come back.

After chemotherapy treatment "stopped working", Jenna and her close friends and family looked to a treatment in Germany, which isn't funded by the NHS.

Doctors in Germany told her to travel "as soon as possible", but the dangers associated with travelling during the coronavirus crisis has halted the trip, despite thousands of people donating money towards it.

Now, Elle Tyson is looking to raise the last bit of money so that she, along with her cousin and best friend Jenna, can fly to Germany for treatment as soon as possible.

"It was a massive shock to everyone"

(Image: Elle Tyson)

Jenna was first diagnosed with cancer a few weeks after her 21st birthday.

"She was at university, and felt a lump," said Jenna's cousin Elle. "When she went to the doctor, she was told it was her monthly cycle and that she shouldn't worry about it.

"Everyone thought nothing of it, because when you're 21, you wouldn't think you would get breast cancer."

But Jenna knew something wasn't right and insisted on a biopsy, despite her young age.

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After that examination, doctors confirmed the worst and told Jenna that the lump was cancerous.

"It was a massive shock to everyone," said Elle.

"As things progressed, they found two tumours and they had to do a mastectomy.

"She started her chemo-treatment and went on for her mastectomy.

"Whilst she was having her chemo, it was a really hard time for her.

(Image: Elle Tyson)

"She had to leave university and come home and she wasn't in a good way - she lost all her hair.

"It was hard with the age that she was; we were all going out.

"But she still came out as much as she could. She wore a wig and we had a little group called Team Jenna where we'd be looking out for her on a night out.

"She kept her spark throughout all of it."

Thankfully, after the mastectomy, Jenna got the all clear.

She returned to university and got her degree before beginning training to become a teaching assistant.

Jenna also started training in makeup and hair, initially so she could give free makeovers to cancer patients like her.

Everything was well until December 2017, when Jenna got the horrible news that the cancer had come back.

"It's a mad, mad, mad, time"

Jenna and Elle have known each other since birth

Over the past few years, Jenna has been taking chemotherapy medicine to keep the cancer at bay as she didn't want the full blown chemotherapy again.

It's been working and she has started working as a teaching assistant at West Hatch High School in Chigwell.

But in January, things got worse.

"She started to get this pain in her stomach, which went into her shoulder, she had no idea what it was," said Elle.

"She found out that she had lots of fluid in her lungs, it was about two litres worth.

"They drained it, but it kept coming back, so she had to have an operation.

"We didn't know what was going on."

After the operation, things briefly improved.

But about three weeks ago, the pains came back worse than ever.

(Image: Elle Tyson)

By then, the coronavirus lockdown was in full effect and, despite being in pain, doctors told her to stay at home.

However, the pain got worse to the point that Jenna was forced to ring the hospital and beg to come in.

After a few tests in hospital, Jenna was told that the cancer had come back worse than ever and she would have to go onto full chemotherapy immediately.

Elle said that it has affected her far worse that it did before.

"She's been very poorly from it," said Elle, "Even more than she was the first time round.

"It's been quite a rough week for her.

"She's got such a close bond of friends around her and she uses us as an escape - which is what friends are there for.

"Normally, we'd do something else to take her mind off it, but because we can't, it's so much harder.

"We can't even go around and see her because of coronavirus."

"It's too risky"

Although things currently look bleak, there is a chance that Jenna could receive life-changing treatment abroad.

There is a treatment in Germany which is highly experimental, but could improve Jenna's chances in her fight.

However, it's not covered by the NHS, and would cost Jenna and her family approximately £100,000.

To try and raise this money, Elle and the rest of Team Jenna - including mum Julie, dad Steve and brother Taylor - started a fundraiser that has been amazingly successful.

So far, they've raised more than £70,000.

"Honestly, it was madness," continued Elle. "Within three days, we hit £50,000. In 24 hours, we hit £25,000.

"It went mental."

Celebrities like Love Island's Dani Dyer and The Only Way Is Essex's Frankie Sims have got involved and when the fundraiser reached £70,000, Elle and the rest of her friends surprised Jenna with balloons, observing social distancing of course.

Team Jenna surprising her with balloons when the fundraiser hit its first target (Image: Elle Tyson)

Elle thinks the reason the fundraiser has had so much support is because of Jenna herself.

"She's so friendly and very selfless; she'll go above and beyond for anyone.

"She'd give her last penny to someone just to make them happy."

Although Team Jenna are well on their way to reaching their cash target, they can't travel to Germany for the treatment until coronavirus is less of a threat.

"The people in Germany want her to go out as soon as possible, but because of COVID-19, it's too risky.